


Malec Meet-cute

by Childofthesky



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec doesn't speak German, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Confusion, German, Germany, Language Confusion, M/M, Magnus speaks German, One Shot, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-06
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2019-03-01 06:07:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13288599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Childofthesky/pseuds/Childofthesky
Summary: Based on the prompt given to me by the wonderful Bec (Malecmarshmallow):Mags and Alec are on holiday somewhere in Germany (you may choose the location), they don‘t know each other. Alec is trying to buy something from a local shop run by elderly german people but is failing because of bad German skills. Mags passes by and hears, then comes over to offer his help.Success! Then flirting, then potential date asking.





	Malec Meet-cute

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MalecMarshmallow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MalecMarshmallow/gifts).



> I lost a bet to Bec and the loser had to write a 1k fic with a chosen prompt by the other and..  
> this is what I came up with ;D  
> No one knows what's going on, why Alec is there, why Magnus is there or why Alec needs this goddamn thing.  
> Enjoy!  
> xx
> 
> I put numbers in the text for the English translations of the spoken German to be found in the notes at the end!!

Alec was about to fully give up, pack his things and leave.  
How did he think traveling through Europe all on his own would go well? Never would he have thought it would all end in a little German town near the border to France.  
In a little shop.  
In front of an elderly lady looking at him as if he was crazy.  
Alec sighed, then pointed at his pocket again.

“A pocket knife. Knife. Uh.. to cut something, I mean.. _snieden_?”, he tried but the old lady frowned more, titling her head.

“Ich verstehe Sie leider gar nicht junger Mann”, [ **1** ] she said, then waved to the back, where an elderly man appeared.  
Her husband, Alec gathered. He looked at him hopefully.

“Grüß Gott der Herr, was kann ich für Sie tun?”, [ **2** ] the man asked and Alec froze.

No English. Again. He took a deep breath.

“Ik braucke a knife. _Neiff_? For my pocket, my tasse”, Alec tried, desperately clinging to what he remembered from learning a little German back in High School. If only he had listened to his teacher more..

The man looked at his wife with his eyebrows raised.

“Tasse? Sie meinen eine Tasse zum trinken?”, [ **3** ] he said and moved over to a little shelf carrying all sorts of mugs with pictures from the black forest. Beautiful but.. very unhelpful.  


“No..”, Alec mumbled, shaking his head, already sounding defeated. The man looked at him with a concentrated, thoughtful expression **** _ **.** _

 

“Vielleicht braucht er einen Stadtplan?”, [ **4** ] the woman asked with a shrug and the man nodded, returning to the counter. He held out a map of the region towards Alec, who shook his head again.

“No, I have one of these, what I need is a pocket knife, uhm..”, he tried again and thought about how to show them exactly what he needed.  
After all, it was the youth hostel’s employees fault who had sent Alec here, saying the shop had the best pocket knifes he would want.  
And here he was.  
Making an idiot of himself, since there was no Wifi to look up words and he had totally forgotten to download a dictionary. Or buy one.  
And his mobile had no service in this town.

“Es tut mir sehr Leid, wir wissen leider nicht was Sie suchen”, [ **5** ] the woman said with a sad expression as Alec tried to mime getting out the knife and cutting something one last time.

He frowned, then nodded. He would just have to try somewhere else.. So he pointed at the magazines, not wanting to look totally rude and not buy at least something when they had really tried to help him, but got distracted when the shop’s bell suddenly rang and turned.

Alec had to blink twice and swallowed as he watched the young Asian man confidently strolling towards the counter with a small smile on his face.

“Hello Otto, Hannelore. Ein schuner Tag hute”, [ **6** ] he said and their eyes cuaght for a second. The guy nodded at Alec, who had been staring at the stranger like an idiot. Alec blushed. (Really, Alec? A grown man, blushing. Great.)

“Oh Magnus, das übliche?”, [ **7** ] the woman asked with a warm smile and the stranger nodded, so the woman reached for a pack of gum and went to fetch a newspaper from behind the counter. The New York Times, as Alec noticed, then the old man waved at the guy.

“Magnus, du sprichst doch Englisch. Der junge Mann dort drüben hat uns versucht etwas zu sagen, aber er spricht kein Deutsch”, [ **8** ] the old man said and pointed at Alec, who tried to busy himself with the magazines in the corner. The stranger lifted an amused eyebrow.

“Ik kann es versucken”, [ **9** ] he grinned, then stepped closer to Alec, who looked up a little startled.

“Hello darling, what can I help you with?”, the beautiful guy asked and left Alec speechless for a second, then a mumbling mess.

“I uh.. you.. they, uhm.. hey?”, he stuttered which made the stranger laugh.

“I was send to translate, but if you keep mumbling I won’t be able to get a single word of what you say, darling”, the guy chuckled and Alec swallowed.

“Uhm, sorry I..”, he cleared his throat.

“Pocket knife. I need one” he managed to say in one breath and the guy raised an eyebrow.

“I see. Come, we’ll get you that knife you seek”, he winked and Alec followed him back to the counter.

“Er mockte ein, uhm, Messer zum klappen. Fur die Hose”, [ **10** ] Magnus said and suddenly the face of the old man lit up.

“Ein Taschenmesser! Aber natürlich!” [ **11** ]  


So in the end, Alec got his knife. And an apology by the old man, and a free snickers bar from the woman.  
He looked around while paying, but the stranger had disappeared already.

 When Alec stepped out of the shop, his newly purchased knife dangling from a shiny chain on his trousers, he got startled by someone clearing their throat.

 “Got what you needed?”, a voice to his right said and when Alec turned, he spotted the Asian stranger leaning against the wall. Alec nodded.

 “Thanks again, I would have been lost without your help..”, he mumbled. The stranger extended his hand with a bright grin on his face.

 “I’m Magnus Bane”, he said and Alec shook it, returning the smile.

 “Alec Lightwood.”

 “Short for Alexander?”, Magnus asked and Alec nodded, the sound of his full name coming off this guys tongue smoothly.

 “Hm Alexander. Nice to meet you. Would you like to grab coffee with me? I know this sweet little Café just down the street, they serve the best Mochachino”, he suggested and Alec nodded excitedly.

 “I’d love to”, he agreed and Magnus winked at him.  
They walked the short distance to the Café together, got a table and ordered, then Magnus grinned at Alec sheepishly.

 “Now, what brings a fellow New Yorker to this small town, without speaking German whatsoever?”, he asked and Alec rolled his eyes, blushing slightly.

 “Well..”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS FOR THE GERMAN SENTENCES:
> 
> 1\. “Ich verstehe Sie leider gar nicht junger Mann” - I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're saying at all, young man.
> 
> 2\. “Grüß Gott der Herr, was kann ich für Sie tun?” - Greetings mister, what can I do for you?
> 
> 3\. “Tasse? Sie meinen eine Tasse zum trinken?” - A cup? You mean a cup to drink from?  
> (Alec mispronounced the word "Tasche" [German for pocket] saying "Tasse" instead which means cup.)
> 
> 4\. “Vielleicht braucht er einen Stadtplan?" - Maybe he needs a town map
> 
> 5\. “Es tut mir sehr Leid, wir wissen leider nicht was Sie suchen” - We're very sorry but we don't know what you're looking for
> 
> 6\. “Hello Otto, Hannelore. Ein schuner Tag hute” - Hello Otto, Hannelore. Such a nice day today, isn't it?
> 
> 7\. “Oh Magnus, das übliche?” - Magnus, the ususal?
> 
> 8\. “Magnus, du sprichst doch Englisch. Der junge Mann dort drüben hat uns versucht etwas zu sagen, aber er spricht kein Deutsch” - Magnus, you speak English, don't you. The young man over there tried to tell us something but he doesn't speak German.
> 
> 9\. “Ik kann es versucken” - I can try
> 
> 10\. “Er mockte ein, uhm, Messer zum klappen. Fur die Hose” - He wants a knife, one you can fold. For his trousers.  
> (Magnus obviously doesn't know the word either but is at least able to explain it badly)
> 
> 11\. “Ein Taschenmesser! Aber natürlich!” - A pocket knife, of course!!


End file.
